1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pets and methods for reuniting lost pets with their owners. More particularly, the invention relates to a nationwide, web-based pet registration, search, and retrieval system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been estimated that thousands of pets are lost each year in the U.S. alone. Current methods for reuniting lost pets with their owners are either largely ineffective, too costly or too complicated. For example, one such method requires a pet owner to purchase a personalized pet tag for their pet having the pet owner""s name, address, and phone number printed thereon. A person who finds a pet with such a tag can then read the tag and call the pet""s owner. This method is effective as long as the information on the tag is current; however, if the pet owner moves and/or changes phone numbers, the pet tags must be replaced with more current tags or else they are useless.
Other methods for locating lost pets include implanting identifying microchips in the pets or tattooing the pets. Both of these methods are expensive and painful for the pets and do not permit a finder of a pet to search for and contact the pet""s owner at any time of day. Moreover, with the microchip methods, the finder of the pet must first determine that the pet has an implanted microchip and then locate a veterinarian or other animal facility that has a microchip scanner that can read the implanted microchip.
Several Internet web sites exist that assist in locating lost pets. These sites use a variety of methods such as posting pictures and descriptions of lost pets and information regarding where pets were lost. Unfortunately, the descriptions and information posted on these sites is often too limited and subjective to permit an exact match between a lost pet and its owner. Moreover, pet owners who lose their pets often do not add descriptions of their lost pets to these sites until days after their pets have been lost. If a person finds a pet and accesses one of the sites before the pet owner adds a description of the lost pet to the site, the finder will be unable to locate the pet owner.
The present invention solves the above-described problems and provides a distinct advance in the art of lost pet location methods and systems. More particularly, the present invention provides a nationwide, web-based pet registration, search, and retrieval system that is highly effective, inexpensive, and easy to use.
The present invention is preferably implemented with a host computer that may be accessed by users via a communications network such as the Internet. Pet owners may register their pets with the host computer by providing information relating to their pets and contact information such as their name, address and phone numbers. This information is then manually or electronically entered into the host computer where it is stored in a searchable database. If the pet owners move and/or change phone numbers, they may contact the host computer at any time and update their contact information.
A person who finds a lost pet may access the host computer in an attempt to locate the pet""s owner. The host computer prompts the finder to enter certain information relating to the pet and then compares the entered information in the database to the information that was previously entered by the pet owners. If a match is found, the host computer provides the finder with the contact information for the pet owner.
In preferred forms, the method of the present invention is used in conjunction with conventional pet vaccination procedures and utilizes a special tag that indicates that a pet is registered with the host computer. Specifically, when a pet owner has his or her pet vaccinated, the veterinarian encourages the pet owner to register their pet with the host computer. The pet owner may do so by manually filling out a form provided by the veterinarian or some other distribution source or by electronically entering the information while on line with the host computer. The entered pet information preferably includes information that is already on a rabies tag that is given to the pet owner after the pet has been vaccinated. The rabies tag information typically includes the veterinarian""s name and phone number as well as a series of alpha-numeric digits. The pet owner may also be prompted to provide additional information such as their name, address, phone numbers, e-mail address, the pet""s name, the type of pet (i.e., dog, cat, other), the breed of the pet, and the date the pet was vaccinated. Some or all of this information is then stored in the searchable database described above.
Once a pet owner has registered his or her pet with the host computer, he or she is sent a special tag that is to be worn along with the pet""s rabies tag. The tag instructs persons who may find the pet to contact the host computer. The host computer then prompts the person who found the pet to enter information from the rabies tag, including the alpha-numeric digits and the veterinarian""s name and phone number. The host computer then compares the information entered by the finder of the pet to the information previously entered by the pet owners to try to find a match. If a match is found, the host computer provides the finder of the pet with the contact information for the owner of the pet so that the finder may contact the owner.
The present invention provides numerous advantages over conventional lost pet location methods. For example, the present invention provides a nationwide, web-based pet registration, search, and retrieval system that may be accessed by anyone, from anywhere, and at any time to locate the owner of a lost pet. The method is highly-effective, inexpensive, and easy to use, and therefore is attractive to all pet owners.
Additionally, because the present invention encourages pet owners to register their pets with the host computer before the pets are lost, a person who finds a lost pet may locate the owner of the pet immediately after the pet is found. Moreover, because the contact information for pet owners is stored on the host computer rather than being printed on a tag worn by the pets, and because pet owners may periodically update the contact information on the host computer if they move and/or change phone numbers, the contact information is always current. Therefore, pet owners do not have to order new pet tags each time their contact information changes.